Craig Berube addressed the media after his team’s 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames, which improved the Maple Leafs’ record to 5-4-1.
On the team’s performance:
I liked our game pretty much, overall. There were a lot of good things. There were mistakes, but I liked our bounce back. We were behind a couple of times tonight, but we showed a lot of resilience and found our way back.
I thought we had everyone playing tonight and everyone going. We had lots of opportunities at the net tonight, which is good to see. It was a pretty direct game overall. There are things we can do better, but overall, I was pretty happy with the game.
On what Max Domi’s two-goal game can do for his confidence:
I am sure it will help. He has been good. For me, Max has been a different player in the last three games. He is more engaged, and when he is an engaged player, he is a good player.
He was getting a lot of opportunities at the net. He was competitive on the puck. He was skating with the puck.
On William Nylander’s performance in his return to the lineup:
I thought Willy had a good game. I wasn’t sure, but he said he was good to play in warmup. He looked fine. He had a pretty good game.
On whether he likes the chemistry forming between McMann-Matthews-Nylander:
I do. I still think there is room to grow between the three of them. I do feel that those two guys are starting to figure some things out between each other.
On the power play breaking through on its fourth opportunity with a goal in the third period:
On that play, as I talk about, the PK was broken down. That is where you take advantage — by getting things to the net and outnumbering them.
On the other power plays, there was some good stuff going on, but it just seemed like the shots… I don’t know if they’d miss the net — I’ll have to rewatch them — or if they got blocked, or what they hit.
I like the idea of Matthews coming downhill and shooting those pucks. Willy was on the goal line tonight. I liked that look; Matthews can rip it, we have a couple of big guys at the net, or you can go to the goal line with Willy, who can make a play. They are all looking at lefties, right?
Again, we are going to keep banging away at it.
On Morgan Rielly’s turnover prior to the 3-3 goal in the third period:
I get what Morgan is thinking: his D partner would jump a little bit, and it is an easy play. But he didn’t. It got turned over, and then it is in our net.
Overall, you can say, “Well, Morgan can’t turn it over,” but the partner should probably read it and be available.
It is an execution play, right? We didn’t execute on it, and they capitalized on it.
On the team’s improved second period, and the team immediately responding after the Flames’ 2-1 goal:
Way better (second period).
It is about focusing on the second shift and getting something done. That is what it is all about. Things will happen.
We played a really good second period. It might’ve been our best second period of the year. I liked the way we three-quarter-iced Calgary. That has to be our mindset.
Sometimes, stuff happens. You can’t always control it. That goal could be defended, in my opinion, but it was, “Next shift, let’s go play. Let’s go.”
Matthew Knies had a great game tonight. He was so strong on pucks and won battles. He had a really good game.
On heading out on the road for consecutive games for the first time this season:
I think it is good to get out on the road here, for sure. I know we have to go to Columbus tomorrow and take care of business there, but we get a couple of days before the Philly game. The guys can get together on the road and be around each other. I think it is a good thing.
